The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...

Why Did I Listen To This Book?

I feel like my friends are really into Jaclyn Moriarty and I have never read her, not even The Year Of Secret Assignments and so I was feeling all kinds of left out. I had obtained a copy of A Corner Of White via Netgalley and then a hardcover magically came in the mail and of course, because I am the literal worst I still did not read it. AND THEN YOU GUYS! This book was selected to be one of the SYNC YA titles and because I love audiobooks, especially when they are provided for legally free over the summer and because I love chopping down my review pile I downloaded and listened, especially as I had commuted something like 300 miles in 3 days which sounds like not a ton, but for me is a lot (my normal commute is 24 miles per day round trip). During my long drives and long showers, I listened and my attention was held rapt by A Corner Of White.

What’s The Story Here?

A Corner Of White by Jaclyn Moriarty features two main characters. Madeleine Tully is fourteen and she’s living in Cambridge, England and homeschooled. Her life at the moment is drastically different from that which she is accustomed to. She used to be fabulously wealthy and then one day she and her mom ran away from her father, forsaking all the of the money. Madeleine is missing the wealth but she’s also adjusting to her new life. One day she finds a corner of a white paper stuck in the parking meter, and so she grabs it. It is a note asking for help and states that the writer is being held against their will. Madeleine writes back.

The letter that Madeleine writes comes through the parking meter and out into the world of Cello where a 15 year old named Elliot Baranski receives it. Elliot lives in Bonfire with his mother. His father is missing. Everyone in town is convinced that he was either attacked by a purple and died, or he ran off with the physics teacher. Elliot, however, thinks that his dad is alive. Meanwhile, these people called the Twiklehams (sorry if I spelled that wrong, I listened to the audiobook) move in and rent Elliot’s dad’s old shop and he and his friends are very cold toward them.

So, anyways, Elliot and Madeleine send letters back and forth to each other through the parking meter/statue. Elliot tells Madeleine of the Kingdom of Cello and Madeleine believes he is lying because she lives in what he calls the world, which essentially is the world as you and I know it.

How’s The World Building?

It took me awhile to understand the world building in A Corner Of White. I thought that the colors were people but no, they are just colors that attack. I did have a bit of trouble picturing Cello but once I got into the story, I thought it was great. Moriarty’s story is richly imagined. It’s just so unique and creative and I love when stories feature parallel worlds. Also, not going to lie, I really wanted Madeleine and Elliot to meet. ALSO! Not only is Cello finely detailed, but so is Cambridge. Both worlds are special and I am so in love with that.

How’s The Narration?

I never would have listened to this on audio if not for the Audiosync YA summer promotion where they give away free audiobooks for download, legally, all summer long. The audiobook of A Corner Of White has EXCELLENT narration. There are multiple narrators – Andrew Eiden, Fiona Hardingham, Kate Reinders, Peter McGowan- I am not sure who narrates what, but I definitely did not sit there thinking about other things while I was listening to this book. The story is easy to focus on with the various narrators. Also the accents are really fantastic. I am actually thinking about purchasing the second book via audio.

April is 30 years old and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and baby, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.